Milk-fat caliper



J. HoRTvET Dec. 21 1926.

MILK FAT CALI PER Filed Feb. 24, 1925 '2 sheets-sheet 1 2 Sheetavs-Sheet 2 5 i w l. /.Z x 1 l d Kul C M j uw Dec. 21 1926.

J. HORTVET MILK FAT CALIPER Filed Feb. 24, 1925 Patented Dec. 21, v 1926.

limitar-rum: enligne.

Application; filed-February My invention relates-to improvements in calipers orvmeusuring thetat column :tormed in the neck ot' a test-bottle,as in the Babcock method, and thereafter resolving the measurement in terms of percentage'.of fat with referencetothe scale on the neck of u the bottle, wherein measurement of vvfat column is; teken.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, durable i andA accurate instrument of the present nature by which the measure ments ot ,tat columns :andlcajlculationsmin terms of fat percentages may be ouifclsdy svieW thereofyFig. Susavertical, sectional view taken'on the linefof Fig. lgFig. 4 is a horizontal sectional jvievvk teken gon.i Ythe line -d of'lig. l andFigIf is ,a detail perspective view illustrating the ,two pointers and upper Y portions of their-ticks ourrying the same. l

Re'e-rring to the .diaivings, it .Willie observed, that the illuStretedembodiment ofniy inventionfincludes a base, vl0. anchev blocker body, ll planted loen-end onsuidfbase. c'lhe upper, end of the block has e1socket.l2,.iorm ed therein to receivefthebulb of a` test-bottle A. A notch 13 'formed at the le'lftsideof soidblock .11, inthenpper edgevthereof, is provided to receive gthe bottom of va ltestbottle `und guide thesame into the socket l2. A disc-like bottle rest 14 inthe socket 12 is supported by the upper end of. a ruckV l5 lslidableyup and doivninn verticelguide- Way 16 formed in said block. A-giearl Ymeshing,with seid recinto, isftiiged to a shaft .18, which is journalezd iat-its innerend in theblock :11 and, near it s outer end,` in a plete 1 9y secured to the-.lett side; fof'lthev -block 11. rhgltliob`` 20.1VS1SCured tol thewoiiter'yend of the shaft Ai8 and v,encircling `seid gehakt,

between "the knob 203ml .the plate 19 is ,a spring Washer 2l. Thefection .of this .spring `washer V2l i draws one face of V'the geur 117 .ngeinst arib l5'd overrechingthe teeth of the ruck .l5 with thefresult that the bottle rest 0lft"remains fixed `unless the knob 2O isturned to L(-zlevatefor; `depress said rest through fthe ectionoi-tlieigear 17 andrafck 15. ,Recessed `inthe rightfside ofthe blockfll is an' upright frame 22.-y hivng a vertical, central channel 22a therein, Vopening ,outward ftherefrom. `.Mo`untedjto,slide up and .down inthe ehanser an pis ,a @ueber ges; l ,the een@ teilig toothed et, its. for-Ward feldzge. "This raekbnr 23hes a channel 23?.,(ligif) ,thereof inf its oiiterfface'.'rack 2li?, toothed ffiftitsfrear edge;k beingl slidiible up and dov-Wn in said channel 23?# A cover-plete 23h,V securedfby screws 23Clto the outer fece of the rackbar 23 .confines'the rack 24 inthe channel 23a inl said Vrack-bar. Afsecond coverplate 2-2b secured by screivs22c`` to the block `1l and -by screws 22d tothe frame 22contines ,the rackrbar 23 3inthe channel 22a ofsaid J raine. A gear 25,. housed Within '21- IGCess 26'i in the 'fre-me22, .co-acts with the teeth of therackbar 23, thevlmeshingteeth of said gear 2:5 being over-reaclied'lby :the forvvzird 'marginal portion!.ofl the. cover-plate 23?. I A .,nsha'ftfz-2r'7, to; the finner. end livhich seid geur :'25`,is securedrp'asses;` through` a. bearing28 in the roven-plate 22h, the out-er fend 'of said .shaft beingftittedwitha knob 2 9 fined thereto. A .The tiirningi of thisl knob f 2,9V y in one directionfelevates tlieraGk-bar 23, While the yreversefrotatio1-1' ok'said yknob depresses said arable-bar; QEn'circling A.the shzitt'27`fbetxveen thedcnob v.29 @end thejoultergtace oit' the bearasprgvesher 130. "'This washer SOLpressing lag'ainst thelknobf 29. und bearing 228, frictionul-lyiengeges. onejsiffdeof 'the gear 25 with seid :marginal portion' of the coverplateff2`-3"` yand results iny holdingi the rack-her f23in {dieva'rious positionsthereof attained "through the Vmanipulation of the knob29- Therack-bar 23 isiforined with e lrear housl communicating with the channel Y28 Vthereinendopening outward in the vdirection voisaid channel. This ,housing 23e, in the .lon/Iermost. position ofthe rack-bar 23, seats in anotchf22e in the upper end 'of theframe u 22'. YSaid housing contains a gear Blineshing;v .Withtherackr24rnd, like the channel l `23avrin the. lrackloer 23is closed at itsouter side by the cover-plate 23T). Afshuft 32A jour-l .in al'ed in abearing. 33 on thei cover-plate 23b cut lengthiiise Y its) lli)

carries said gear 31 at its inner end, the outer end of said shaft having a knob 34 fastened thereto. The turning of t-he knob 34 in one direction lifts the rack 24 and the reverse rotation of said knob lowers said rack. Encircling the shaft 32 and bearing against the knob 34 at one side and the bearing 33 at the other is a spring washer 35, which acts to frictionally engage the outer side of the gear 31 with the cover-plate 23h. The frictional contact of said gear 31 with said plate 23b holds the gear 31 against turning, except through the knob 34, and thereby holds the rack 24 in selected adjusted positions on the rack-bar 23. A pointer 36 having an upper horizontal sighting edge is carried by the rack-bar 23 and a pointer 37 having a lower horizontal sighting edge is carried by the rack 24. These pointers eX- tend inwardly of thestructure, the tips being oiilset forwardly of the Shanks thereof to clear the neck of a test-bottle A (Fig. 4) seated on the rest 14 in the block l1.

rlhe block 11 has a deep socket at the rear thereof formed by a vertical channel 11a in said block and an upright plate 38 covering said channel. A post 39 rising from said socket is held in vertically adjusted positions by means of a set screw 40 threaded in the plate 33 and bearing against said post 39. A holder 41, carrying a glass plate 42, rises from the post 39, said holder having an upright elongated opening 41a therein. A central panel 42a in the glass plate 42 registers with the opening 41a in the holder 41, the rear side of the panel being etched, frosted or otherwise treated, to render said panel translucent. The back of the remainder of said glass plate 42 is silvered as at 42 to provide an opaque shield about the translucent panel 42a and, further, to provide a sighting panel at the rear of the pointers 36, 37. A support for the block 11 includes a standard 43 rising from a footpiece 44. A bracket 45, adjustable vertically on the standard 43, is clamped to said standard at the desired elevation by means of a set screw 46 threaded in the bracket 45 and binding against the standard `43. A lamp 47 is also adjustable vertically on the standard 43 through the medium of a lamp supporting and standard gripping clamp 48. The block 11 is seated on the bracket 45 and the lamp 47 adjusted on the standard 43 to locate the same directly behind the translucent panel 42a in the glass plate 42.

In operation, the bottle rest 14 is adjusted by manipulation of the knob 20 to suit the particular type of test-bottle used. That is to say, said rest is elevated or depressed as the condition may require to locate a given bottle so that the lowermost mark on the bottle scale will rest not lower than the lowermost position of the upper edge of the pointer 36. Once said rest is set for a given veye level sightings,

type of bottle its position need not be altered until a different bottle is used that requires a change. A test-bottle, containing a column of fat in the neck thereof, as produced in the process of testing, is seated on the rest 14.

lilith the lamp 47 lighted, the direct rays therefrom are shielded from the users eyes by the silvered glass plate 42. a uniform subdued light, however, being admitted through the translucent panel 42"L to clearly illuminate the neck of the test bottle, the contents thereoii and the graduatioi'is thereon, as well, The upper flat'l edge ot the pointer 36 is brought to the level of the lower meniscus of the fat column by manipulation ot' the knob 2t), this act being followed by the manipulation of the knob to bring the lower flat side of the pointer 37 to the level of the Lipper edge ot the meniscus at the top of the fat column. To insure exactwhen the two poil .1 36, 37, are set, the user sees that the 'fiat sighting edge of the pointer being adjusted registers with the corresponding edge of the pointer reflection in the mirrored glass 42. With the pointers 36, 37 adjusted, the distance between the same representing the length of the fat column, the knob 29 is turned to bring the upper edge of the lower pointer 36 to the level of the Zero mark on the bottle scale (dotted lines, Fig. 1). flight is taken on the reflection of the lower pointe;l 36 in the glass 42, when said pointer is set on the zero mark of the scale, such sight then being taken on the reflection of the pointer 37, notation being made to the point of registration of the lower edge of said pointer with the bottle scale. Such point on said scale gives the desired reading in percentage by weight of fat in the tested sample.

llhe outstanding advantages resident in my improvement include the described facilities for uniformly illuminating a bottle neck from top to bottom thereof; the sightingfeature, whereby exact eye level adjustments of the pointers* may be made, and the ready facility for accurately leveling each pointer with its respective meniscus and for simultaneously setting the relatively adjusted pointers in respect to the scale of a testbottle.

Changes in the specific form of my invention, as herein dsiclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In an instrument of the class described, a body, a bottle rest and a frame, both mounted on said body, a first upright rackbar slidable vertically in said frame, a shaft journalled in said frame, a gear fixed on said shaft and meshing with the rack of said rack-bar, a pointer carried by the rack-bar at the upper tip thereof, a second upright rack-bar mounted on the first rack-bar so as to slide vertically thereon, a pointer at the upper tip of the second rack-bar, a shaft journalled in the first rack-bar, a gear fixed on said shaft meshing With the rack of said second rack-bar, a pair of gear turning knobs, one on each shaft, and separate means for resisting the rotation of said gears respectively, said pointers reaching horizontally into the proximity of the neck of a test bott-le seated on said rest.

2. In an instrument of the class described, a support, a bottle rest and an upright frame, both mounted 'on said support, la first upright bar mounted to slide on the frame for vertical adjustment thereon, a pointer carried at the upper tip of said bar, a second upright bar mounted to slide on the first bar for vertical adjustment thereon, a pointer carried by said second bar at the upper tip thereof, said pointers being eX- tended sideward of said bars into the proximity of the neck of a test bottle on said rest, individual means for holding said bars, respectively, in the various adjusted `-ositions thereof, and means for adjusting said bottom rest vertically to locate a bottle in elevation, whereby the scale thereon will rest Within the range of the pointer on said first bar.

3. In an instrument of the class described, a support, a bottle rest and an upright frame, both mounted `on said support, a first upright bar sli-dably mounted on the frame for vertical adjustment thereon, a pointer carried by `said bar at the upper tip thereof, a second upright bar slidably mounted on the first bar Vfor vertical adl justment thereon, a pointer carried by said second bar at the upper tip thereof, said pointers being extended sideward of said Vbars into the proximity of the neck of a ladjusta le along the neck of a test bottle seated on said rest, a light shield mounted on said supporting means, a portion of said shield being translucent and forming the immediate background for the neck of the bottle, the remainder of said shield being opaque and a part thereof mirrored, said translucent portion vof said shield providing for the uniform illumination of the. neck of a test bottle and the mirrored portion furnishing reflections of said pointers, whereby a user may be guided in gaining true eye level sightings in the adjustment of the pointers in respect to a fat column in a test bottle and in respect to the scale on the bottle.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JULIUS HORTVET. 

